Private-label branded rice increased its visibility at the point of sale and in advertising brochures in Portugal last year, according to a new study.
Marktest Retail revealed that in the past year, rice saw a 6-per-cent growth in share of shelf, with private label contributing most (+1.37 per cent y/y) and accounting for 26.2 per cent of the total share of shelf.
Other brands topped the list with 29.3 per cent, followed by Caçarola, the brand name with the highest share of shelf (11.5 per cent).
Saludães and Cigala also saw growth compared to 2013, with shares of 9 per cent and 8.7 per cent, respectively.
In terms of space occupied by brands in supermarket chains, Caçarola leads in all chains except Lidl and Pingo Doce, where it is not present and Cigala prevails.
Significantly, Cigala is the fastest-growing brand in Sonae, Lidl, Minipreço and Pingo Doce stores, while Caçarola only increased share of shelf in Auchan stores.
Most of the rice produced in Portugal belongs to the rounded grain type called Carolino, while Portuguese consumers prefer 'agulha' (needle) rice, a characteristically long grain.
Local brands and supermarkets have boosted agulha rice sales in recent years, as the vast majority of promotions have been focused on this type.
Agulha rice accounted for 35 per cent of share of shelf in the rice category. Private-label, again, stands out for growth (+2.8 per cent y/y) and leads with 29.9 per cent in this segment, followed by other brands, with 21.1 per cent.
Cigala is the leading brand name with 13.6 per cent (down on 16.1 per cent in 2013), while Caçarola was the only brand to see growth (from 10.5 per cent to 11.5 per cent in 2014).
Private-label rice also saw the highest growth in share of voice or inserts in promotional leaflets (from 65 to 121). Among brand names, Cigala stands out in leaflet presence, surpassing Caçarola.
© 2014 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article written by Branislav Pekic.
